I never meant to compare the two, I think Widget brought up the XA30.5, I just continued to use that as an example.
I think it would come as a big surprise to many here. Even "Pass Labs" amps...
Type: Posts; User: JeffW; Keyword(s):
I never meant to compare the two, I think Widget brought up the XA30.5, I just continued to use that as an example.
I think it would come as a big surprise to many here. Even "Pass Labs" amps...
HHmmm.. Judging an amp on how it sounds instead of how it looks. Now there's a novel idea.
You should consider a nice Crown D-75A instead of that J2. It has clipping LEDs, independent input attenuators, more power, it's smaller, lighter, less expensive, and has that subdued industrial "lab...
It's a sad day when an amp can't do more than 3X its rated output before clipping. And IIRC, mine ran with the meter at about 2 o'clock steady state, then moved to the right from there.
They don't begin clipping, they begin transitioning from their set bias point. The XA30.5 starts transitioning from Class A bias at about 40 wpc @ 8 ohms, that's when the meter starts moving. It...
That's why I said it looked just like it " aside from no meter and absent the machined handles (odd protrusions)". Take the handles (odd protrusions) off the Pass, slap some duct tape over the meter...
Rolled, billet, who gives a crap. The front plate on the Pass amps is just a sheet of aluminum, too, but then they bolt some machined pieces onto that. The more important question is why don't they...
OK, let's see what Stereophile has to say about some amps from your "approved" list below, that we can rest assured are "competently designed" since you say so.
Sounds like some thinking...
Oh give me a break. You were right there in the thick of it. From this very thread:
Yep, we buy this shit because of the faceplates.
You've already confirmed that the sound quality is just...
I have a storage shed with the highest dollar per square foot value this side of Manhattan. That's gotta be worth something.
That, and the faceplate.
Point is the same guy is responsible. You can query him vis-a-vis First Watt and Pass Labs and he'll compare.
Either way, they're laughing at you.
ETA: I get it now,...
First Watt is a side venture of Pass Labs. Pass Labs amps currently top out at 600 wpc and weigh 150lbs/channel. My Pass Labs jetsam is around 600lbs/channel.
Wouldn't matter, you'd still be called an idiot for buying it. I've got a kilowatt a side of the crap, damn near broke my back carting it out of here.
You can bet your bottom goddamned dollar that whatever I buy in the future won't be from that company.
It's not this thread, it's an ongoing situation for some time. But I'm done with it and will regroup with stuff that hopefully fits in.
These have already been upgraded.
The driver boards are DIYTube Poseidon units.
The power supplies have been upgraded with the SDS Cap Board. No more multicap.
And there is a dual bias...
This is my first tube gear, I really wanted to try to get away from vintage stuff that needed constant maintenence. Didn't really work out. I'd have to say these are pretty good little amps, but I've...
Last vestige of aluminum has been purged. Ditched the Perreauxs for an ancient but well restored pair of Dynaco MkIII monoblocks. Not a sliver of aluminum, no lights save the tubes. Stamped steel...
Well, they're out of here. Every single blue light, billet faceplate stinking piece of amp. All packed away in storage. I did keep the phono stage and preamp, they'll just have to do until I can find...
Indeed you could, but then I'd point out that the amp I pictured is a mono. So there's another transformer and all important faceplate (and innards, not that they evidently matter) for the other...
Yeah, I know that. I just put that in there for the fans of the gear with the big ol' W/VU meters that jump up and down with the music. Just imagine their disappointment after spending all that money...
My DAC only goes to 24/192, and even 24/96 files are pretty dang big. The 24/192 files are about 150MB for a 4 minute song, and 24/96 seems to be pretty standard for "hi res" files at only 75MB for...
And the kicker? Although I don't consider my AVR to be the last word in high fidelity music reproduction, and it's only HDMI 1.3, and it's been obsolete for a couple of years, I bought another one...
See, that doesn't enter into my buying decision, either. I have mentioned before that I really don't care for the blinding blue LEDs they use, and the meters don't do anything. That's right, they...
You're overcomplicating it!
Don't you see, there doesn't need to be ANYTHING behind the faceplate! Nobody buys this stuff because of how it performs, they only buy it because it has a (really...